Apple pulls Genius ads from the Olympics, claims criticism had nothing to do with it

Apple’s (AAPL) much debated “Genius” advertisements have been pulled from the Olympics. A spokesperson for TBWA/Media/Arts Lab, the ad agency that represents Apple, confirmed to Mashable that the ads are no longer running, however recent criticism had nothing to do with their removal. According to the agency, the ads were only intended for a “first run” during the Olympics, which meant the opening weekend. Rather than sticking to its strengths and focusing on product demonstration, the Cupertino-based company’s latest advertising campaign focused on a service and was widely panned by critics and fans alike. Google (GOOG) was able to capitalize on Apple’s shortcomings and its latest advertisement for its Nexus 7 tablet was said to be extremely effective.